https://canadianracingonline.com/community/nascar-whelen-euro-series/ CanadianRacingOnline.com Discussion Board en-US Wed, 15 Apr 2026 18:22:37 +0000 wpForo 60 https://canadianracingonline.com/community/nascar-whelen-euro-series/day-and-de-doncker-lead-practice-the-israeli-sets-the-pace-at-hockenheim/ Fri, 28 Jul 2017 23:39:05 +0000 The Israeli Sets The Pace At Hockenheim
Gian Luca Guiglia
July 28, 2017 - 3:21pm


Alon Day (#54 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS) was the quickest NASCAR Whelen Euro Series driver in practice to open the inaugural American Fan Fest weekend at the Hockenheimring, while Eric De Doncker (#98 Motorsport 98 Ford Mustang) posted the fastest time in the ELITE 2 Division.

Day, who sits third in points entering the last event of the 2017 regular season, wheeled the #54 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS around the 3.692 Kilometers of the legendary German track in 1:32.749 in the last practice session to edge reigning champion Anthony Kumpen (#24 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS), who led the first practice in the morning, by a mere .072 seconds.

Frederic Gabillon (#3 Tepac RDV Compétition Toyota Camry), points leader Borja Garcia (#7 Racers Motorsport Ford Mustang) and Stienes Longin (#11 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS) completed the top-5. The Belgian also led the Junior Trophy classification ahead of Gianmarco Ercoli (#9 Racers Motorsport Ford Mustang), Salvador Tineo Arroyo (#54 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS) and Thomas Ferrando (#37 Knauf Racing Team Ford Mustang), who took the spots from sixth to eighth. Freddy Nordstrom (#44 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS) and Christophe Bouchut (#66 DF1 Racing Team Chevrolet SS) rounded out the top-10.

Eric De Doncker (#98 Motorsport 98 Ford Mustang) was fastest among the Challengers and also topped the ELITE 2 Division charts with a 1:34.391 lap that placed him ahead of two-time pole sitter Guillaume Dumarey (#24 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS), who led the final practice session in 1:34.536 and was fastest among the rookies.

Ulysse Delsaux (#3 Tepac RDV Compétition Toyota Camry), points leader Thomas Ferrando (#37 Knauf Racing Team Ford Mustang) and Justin Kunz (#11 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS) completed the top-5. Martin Doubek was sixth fastests ahead of Paul Guiod (#73 Knauf Racing Team Ford Mustang), Maciej Dreszer (#66 DF1 Racing Team Chevrolet SS), debutant Jean Baptiste Simmenauer (#27 Alex Caffi Motorsport Ford Mustang) and fresh two-time winner Felipe Rabello (#56 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS).

Carmen Boix Gil (#1 Alex Caffi Motorsport Ford Mustang)  was the fastest contender for the Lady Cup.

Qualifying for the American Fan Fest will begin on Saturday morning at 10:00 CET. All the action from the Hockenheimring will be streamed live on Fanschoice.tv and the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Facebook page.]]> NASCAR Whelen Euro Series CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/nascar-whelen-euro-series/day-and-de-doncker-lead-practice-the-israeli-sets-the-pace-at-hockenheim/ https://canadianracingonline.com/community/nascar-whelen-euro-series/elite-1-round-5-kumpen-delivers-at-venray/ Sun, 16 Jul 2017 06:20:39 +0000 Edges Garcia In An Exciting Battle For The Lead


Anthony Kumpen (#24 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS) delivered the second win of the season for the #24 PK Carsport team in the ELITE 1 Round 5 at Raceway Venray at the end of a long and exciting battle for the lead with Borja Garcia (#7 Racers Motorsport Ford Mustang).

The two-time NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Champion, who led flag to flag in his ninth career win and the third at Venray, edged the Spaniard by just .176 seconds under the checkered flag after fending off the countless attacks Garcia brought during the 50-lap race. The situation will be reversed on Sunday, when Garcia will start from the pole alongside Kumpen thanks to the fastest lap of the race.

On winning the race, Kumpen said, “We started on the pole, led every lap and won the race!  It’s what we came here to do so how can I be any happier!  The only thing we couldn’t do today was run the fastest lap time of the race.  It would have been nice to start on pole for tomorrow too, but that’s okay.  We’ll still start on the front row, which is what we need to do to stay in the hunt for the championship.  We may make a few small adjustments for tomorrow.”

On the track surface and Borja Garcia’s challenges, Kumpen said, “The high line is always fast here and the new track surface allows a driver to race in the middle of the track.  Borja tried to pass me a few times down low but I was able to maintain my position the entire race.”

“Having a good spotter at an oval track is so important, and I have a great spotter!  I trust him 100%.  We have a great relationship and great communication.  If he says, “I’m clear”, i know I’m clear!” concluded Kumpen

On his second place finish, Garcia said, “It was a tough race and it’s really difficult to pass here.  I tried to pass Anthony a bunch of times.  I made it to his door but could never complete the pass.  What’s important is that I finished second and had the fastest lap of the race.  Tomorrow I’ll start on the pole and that’s really important for the championship standings.”

The ELITE 1 pack offered the fans a spectacular show, with side-by-side battles throughout the races. Alon Day (#54 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS) came home third after overtaking his teammate Salvador Tineo Arroyo (#56 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS) in the final ten laps. The Spaniard won the Junior Trophy ahead of Thomas Ferrando (#37 Knauf Racing Team Ford Mustang), who closed the top-5.

Marconi De Abreu (#47 RDV Competition Toyota Camry) beat Jerry De Weerdt (#78 Brass Racing Ford Mustang) for the Challenger Trophy in sixth, while Kenko Miura (#2 Alex Caffi Motorsport Toyota Camry) and Sam Taheri (#77 Dog Racing Chevrolet SS) rounded out the top-10.

An early contact that led to the first caution of the race took out of contention both Frederic Gabillon (#3 RDV Competition Toyota Camry) and Stienes Longin (#11 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS), who were battling for second place when they got together.

The ELITE 1 Division will be back on track on Sunday with the ELITE 1 Round 6 and the race will be streamed live on Fanschoice.tv and the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Facebook page at 14:50 CET.]]> NASCAR Whelen Euro Series CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/nascar-whelen-euro-series/elite-1-round-5-kumpen-delivers-at-venray/ https://canadianracingonline.com/community/nascar-whelen-euro-series/preview-whelen-euro-series-raceway-venray-the-european-nascar/ Tue, 11 Jul 2017 10:59:35 +0000 The European NASCAR Series Goes Short Track Racing In The Netherlands
Official Release


The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series will return to action on July 15-16 in the Netherlands, at Raceway Venray with four exciting oval races that will be crucial on the road to the European NASCAR title. The Fastest Half-mile Oval In Europe will host the third edition of the Autospeedway American Style, an event mixing a spectacular amount of door-to-door racing with an American-flavoured meeting, featuring US cars and a unique memorabilia market.

As if constant side-by-side battles at an average speed exceeding 160 Km/h were not enough, Raceway Venray will present a new layer of asphalt in turn one, three and four to further enhance racing in the only oval-track event of the 2017 NWES season. The Dutch event will also be a fast-paced one, as all the on-track action will be compacted over two days, making experience and a smart tactic fundamental to score the maximum amount of points in a year in which many of the ELITE 1 protagonists cannot afford to lose ground midway through the regular season. 

Four past NWES oval race winners will be on the grid in the ELITE 1 Division – Frederic Gabillon (#3 Tepac RDV Compétition Ford Mustang), Anthony Kumpen (#24 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS), Stienes Longin (#11 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS) and Gianmarco Ercoli (#9 Racers Motorsport Ford Mustang) – while a new oval master will be crowned in the ELITE 2 Division, which is more open than ever. Will Thomas Ferrando (#37 Knauf Racing Team Ford Mustang) and Ulysse Delsaux (#3 RDV Compétition Ford Mustang) put their oval experience to good use to dominate, or will Maciej Dreszer and Guillaume Dumarey find their way to Victory Lane?

Fans from all over the world will be able to follow all the action from Raceway Venray live on Fanschoice.tv and the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Facebook page.]]> NASCAR Whelen Euro Series CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/nascar-whelen-euro-series/preview-whelen-euro-series-raceway-venray-the-european-nascar/ https://canadianracingonline.com/community/nascar-whelen-euro-series/alon-day-tenacious-in-cup-debut-concludes-historic-race-earns-precious-experien/ Tue, 27 Jun 2017 05:48:14 +0000 Concludes Historic Race, Earns Precious Experience For The Future
Gian Luca Guiglia, NWES

It didn’t go as he hoped, but Alon Day’s debut in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series was an exemplification of how tenacious and well prepared the Israeli driver is and an immensely valuable experience for the future of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series title contender.

Day ran as high as 14th in his debut at the highest level of NASCAR in the US and finished the race in 32nd place after receiving heavy damage to the front end of the #23 EarthWater BK Racing Toyota Camry.

“Clearly it didn’t go as we wanted, but that’s racing and it simply was a fantastic experience, on and off the track,” said Day, who made history as the  first NASCAR Whelen Euro Series driver and the first Israeli to compete at Cup level. “I can’t thank enough EarthWater, BK Racing, NASCAR, the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series and everybody who supports me for this opportunity to race against the best NASCAR drivers in the world.”

When the green flag dropped on Sunday on the Toyota / Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway, Day picked up a good pace and finished 14th and 24th in the first two stages, but got guiltlessly involved in a couple of contacts in the eventful first half of the race. The damage the car received forced the BK Racing team to entirely remove the front bodywork from the #23 Earthwater Toyota Camry, but Day kept running and took the checkered flag in 32 place at the end of a last segment that was ran entirely under green.

“The first two stages went really well for us, but being involved in a crash that costed us the front half of the car really hurt our race.The #23 EarthWater crew did an amazing job to keep us running and we gained precious experience. We will definitely come back stronger,” said Day. “Now I’ll go back home and focus on the main target of my 2017 season: the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series title! The next event will be on oval in the Netherlands and I’ll be ready to battle for the win.”

Day and the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series will be back in action on July 15-16 at Raceway Venray with two days of short track racing on the “Fastest half-mile oval in Europe”. All the races will be streamed live on Fanschoice.tv and on the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Facebook page.]]> NASCAR Whelen Euro Series CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/nascar-whelen-euro-series/alon-day-tenacious-in-cup-debut-concludes-historic-race-earns-precious-experien/ https://canadianracingonline.com/community/nascar-whelen-euro-series/first-nwes-driver-to-make-monster-energy-nascar-cup-series-debut-at-sonoma/ Fri, 16 Jun 2017 23:21:19 +0000 Alon Day will drive the #23 BK Racing Toyota Camry
Gian Luca Guiglia, NWES
June 16, 2017 - 9:24am


History will be made on Sunday, June 25th, when Alon Day will become the first NASCAR Whelen Euro Series driver to race in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Sonoma Raceway in the Toyota / Save Mart 350. After being crowned King Of Brands Hatch last weekend in the UK, the Israeli will cross the Atlantic to drive the #23 BK Racing Toyota Camry with support form EarthWater Limited.

"I'm very excited to make my debut in the Cup Series next week in Sonoma," said Day. "There's no better way for me to make my debut than on a road course and I can't wait to get behind the wheel of the No. 23 Toyota,” said Day, who sits second in points in NWES and won his first race of the season last weekend. “I am very thankful to the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series for the many opportunities and the exposure the series keeps generating for me and I’ll be proud to be the first NWES driver to race in Cup and represent the championship at Sonoma. I hope we can take advantage of all our road course experience to bring home a good result”

Day is among the many NWES drivers who had the chance to compete in NASCAR in the US thanks to the opportunities the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series has created through season prizes and development programs such as the Road To Daytona.

"We are very proud of Alon being the first driver of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series to reach the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series level ! This is a great achievement for the development programs we built with NASCAR and shows to every driver outside of North America that the American NASCAR career dream can become real. We have very talented drivers coming from all over the world to compete in Euro NASCAR to make this championship one of the best in Europe. Alon is a great driver and very nice guy who really deserve this opportunity. We wish him the best for this event and expect lots of our drivers to follow his footsteps,” said Jerome Galpin, NWES President / CEO

Day joined the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series in 2015 coming from GT racing and immediately emerged as one of the brightest talents of the European NASCAR Series at the wheel of his iconic yellow #54 CAAL Racing Chevrolet. The Ashdod native won two times the Junior Trophy in 2015 and 2016, when he finished second and third in points, and scored a total of 7 race wins and four pole positions.

Day was also the first driver coming from outside North America to be selected for the NASCAR Next program – a program that since its inception featured drivers like Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Daniel Suarez, Darrell Wallace Jr. and many others – highlighting once again how the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series represents the ideal stepping stone for a NASCAR career. Day will be the 14th NASCAR Next driver to race at Cup level.

The Toyota / Save Mart 350 weekend from Sonoma Raceway will begin on Friday, June 23 with two practice sessions on the 1.99-mile (3.2 km) road course. Qualifying will take place on Saturday at 8:45 pm CET and the race will begin at 9 pm CET on Sunday, June 25.]]> NASCAR Whelen Euro Series CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/nascar-whelen-euro-series/first-nwes-driver-to-make-monster-energy-nascar-cup-series-debut-at-sonoma/ https://canadianracingonline.com/community/nascar-whelen-euro-series/eries-stephane-azemard-alon-day-crowned-the-king-of-brands-hatch-wins/ Mon, 12 Jun 2017 02:10:10 +0000 Wins A Nail Biting ELITE 1 Round 4
Gian Luca Guiglia, NWES
June 11, 2017 - 10:50am


Everything and a little more happened at Brands Hatch in the ELITE 1 Round 4 race.  In the end, it was Alon Day (#54 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS) who was crowned King Of Brands Hatch. The Israeli won for the first time this season, the seventh in his career and the second at Brands Hatch in a race that offered a unique show: overtakes, door-to-door battles, contacts, breath-taking restarts and even a comeback from 2 laps down for Borja Garcia (#7 Racers Motorsport Ford Mustang) that saved the Spaniard's points lead.

The day started really strange because we had to change the engine this morning.  The team did a great job but we didn’t know what to expect for the race. When I jumped into the car I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, especially starting from the outside.”  On the notorious bump, Day said, “Kumpen slid going into the turn and I realized that it was my opportunity to overtake him. After completing the pass, I looked back in my mirror and saw that Gabillon also made the pass and was behind me.  He stayed close and never gave up throughout the race. It was really challenging.  He had a few really good chances too with the restarts. It was a tough race! I felt like I had to look in my mirrors more than I looking out front.  I want to really thank my team, my sponsors and everybody that made this possible. Everybody did a great job, the car was perfect.”  As for being crowned, Day said, “It's amazing to be the king!”

Things went south for points leader Borja Garcia (#7 Racers Motorsport Ford Mustang), who found himself two laps behind the leader due to a punctured tire, while at the front, Day was passing polesitter Anthony Kumpen (#24 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS) for the lead with a bump-and-run move at Graham Hill bend. The reigning champion fell to fourth, behind Day, Frederic Gabillon (#3 Tepac RDV Compétition Toyota Camry) and Marc Goossens (#90 Brass Racing Ford Mustang).

Christophe Bouchut (#66 DF1 Racing Chevrolet SS) and Bruno Junqueira (#33 Mavi Mishumotors Chevrolet SS) found themselves in the gravel at Clearways and triggered a caution that bunched up the field on lap 9. The Frenchman had to retire, while the Brazilian was able to rejoin.

Thomas Ferrando (#37 Knauf Racing Team Ford Mustang) took third place from Goossens in the ensuing restart, but the safety car came out again on lap 18 to retrieve the #11 Chevrolet SS of Stienes Longin (#11 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS) from the grass between Druids and Graham Hill bend. The caution bunched up the field for another restart, and Garcia took his second free pass to return on the lead lap and start a furious comeback.

Experience paid off for Goossens, who was able to take third place back from Ferrando with a brilliant move on the restart, while Day checked out and took the checkered flag without any challenges and a .765 seconds margin on Gabillon. Ferrando dropped back to fifth, leaving fourth place to Salvador Tineo Arroyo (#56 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS), who also led the Junior Trophy.

“Today was a good day for our team. We had a some mechanical problems in practice yesterday and broke the clutch. The crew worked really hard and fixed the problem.  Unfortunately, parts brake sometimes, it happens in racing.  Today, however, the car was really good.  The team gave me a great setup and it was very fast.  We didn't plan for the two safety cautions and we suffered a little bit with the tire pressures.  All in all, I’m very happy for the second place finish and looking forward to the next race in Venray,” said Gabillon. 

“There was a lot of battling going on up front. Yesterday, the Top-5 was grouped in one tenth, that's what we call real racing, there’s no need for BOP like other championships. This Series provides good equipment, there are a lot of good competitors and that means a great show for the fans. Honestly, I don't think I had the speed to be on the podium, especially starting from 5th place on the grid with all the racing battles going on around me.  The competition was dropping off the track and I managed to get in a third. I did not have a good restart at the first caution and I lost one position to the 37 car, said Goossens. “For the second restart, I thought to myself, I have 30+ years of racing experience and I can’t lose to this youngster, so I made move and it went well! I'm very happy to come back to the podium with Braxx Racing, they gave me a very good car and this team really deserves it. They’re a good group of people and very much like a family. They put so much effort into their racing program. Three podiums in my last four races feel good.”

Gianmarco Ercoli edged Kumpen for sixth place, while Freddy Nordstrom (#44 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS) was a solid eight. Garcia completed his outstanding comeback in ninth and NASCAR legend Bobby Labonte (#1 Whelen Engineering Alex Caffi Motorsport Ford Mustang) closed a spectacular performance in tenth place coming from the very back of the field.

Marko Stipp (#46 Racing Total Chevrolet SS) won the Challenger Trophy for the new Racing Total team in his return to the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series.

The ELITE 1 Division will be back on July 15-16 at Raceway Venray with Garcia leading Day in the points standings.]]> NASCAR Whelen Euro Series CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/nascar-whelen-euro-series/eries-stephane-azemard-alon-day-crowned-the-king-of-brands-hatch-wins/ https://canadianracingonline.com/community/nascar-whelen-euro-series/kumpen-leads-flag-to-flag-the-belgian-dominates/ Sat, 10 Jun 2017 23:05:38 +0000 The Belgian Dominates, Scores Eight Career Win
Gian Luca Guiglia, NWES
June 10, 2017 - 11:02am

Anthony Kumpen (#24 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS) put one hand on the King Of Brands Hatch crown with a dominant win in the American SpeedFest ELITE 1 Round 3. The reigning NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Champion scored his eighth career win, the second at the historic British track. 

After receiving the trophy, Kumpen said, “The race went really good. I’m really pleased. We started with low tire pressures because we knew it was a lot hotter than what it was during the practice sessions.  We wanted to save our car a bit in the beginning so that we’d be strong for the end of the race. The first ten laps I struggled a bit to keep the field behind me but after that, the tires came in and we were able to pull away.  That gave me an opportunity to run really clean laps and I was able to post the fastest lap of the race and get pole position for tomorrow.  At that point, I was feeling really good until the caution came out. I knew we’d have to battle for the green-white-checkered but when the race went green, we were able to pull away, stay up front and claim the win!”

Kumpen started from the pole and led flag to flag, perfectly handling a green-white checkered finish to beat points leader Borja Garcia (#7 Racers Motorsport Ford Mustang) to the line by .328 seconds.



The first 20 laps featured a spectacular battle between up to six drivers in the front group, all running at qualifying pace, but as soon as the race approached its final third, Kumpen was able to build a solid margin on the rest of the field, led by Borja Garcia (#7 Racers Motorsport Ford Mustang) until the safety car was deployed on lap 26 to allow the marshals to retrieve Marconi De Abreu (#47 Brazil Team Toyota Camry) from the gravel trap at the last turn, leading to a Green-White-Checkered finish.

Frederic Gabillon (#3 Tepac RDV Compétition Toyota Camry) was sitting third behind the safety car, but he lost his clutch on the way up to Druids and sadly had to retire.  Kumpen had a great restart at the head of the field, while behind him Garcia slotted in second to finish behind the Belgian and further cementing his points lead.

Garcia said, “I feel really happy to finish second.  I’m very thankful for Racers Motorsport who gave me the opportunity to race here this weekend.  We had a really good race and I was looking forward to another good finish but then when I saw the safety car pull on to the track I thought, oh no, a restart on the outside of turn one!  When the green flag dropped, I had to be a bit aggressive and was really lucky to stay in second place.  After three races, my worst finish so far is second position so I feel really really good! ”

Alon Day (#54 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS) was third, just ahead of Marc Goossens (#90 Brass Racing Ford Mustang) and Gianmarco Ercoli (#9 Racers Motorsport Ford Mustang), who won the Junior Trophy classification.

Thomas Ferrando (#37 Knauf Racing Team Ford Mustang) won a fierce battle for sixth, edging Stienes Longin (#11 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS), Christophe Bouchut (#66 DF1 Racing Chevrolet SS) – the Frenchman now trails Garcia by 22 points – Salvador Tineo Arroyo (#56 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS) and Alex Kapadia (#70 Mishumotors Chevrolet SS). The British veteran  was the highest finisher among the Series new entries, beating his teammate Bruno Junqueira (#33 Mavi Mishumotors Chevrolet SS).

NASCAR Champion Bobby Labonte climbed up to 14th place from the back of the grid.

“We finished better than we started but just never really took off.  We kind of ran the same speed all race long. We passed some cars and gained some positions in the last restart, while trying to maintain our car for tomorrow,” said Labonte. “It was a good experience, but we have to work on our setup to finish better in tomorrow’s race, because we missed it today and just weren’t good enough.”

The ELITE 1 Division will be back on track on Sunday to elect the King Of Brands Hatch at 2:35 pm CET. The race will be streamed live on Fanschoice.tv and the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Facebook page.]]> NASCAR Whelen Euro Series CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/nascar-whelen-euro-series/kumpen-leads-flag-to-flag-the-belgian-dominates/ https://canadianracingonline.com/community/nascar-whelen-euro-series/ferrando-flexes-his-muscles-storms-to-a-dominant-win-on-dumarey/ Sat, 10 Jun 2017 23:04:30 +0000 Storms To A Dominant Win On Dumarey And Dreszer
Gian Luca Guiglia, NWES
June 10, 2017 - 3:08pm
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Thomas Ferrando (#37 Knauf Racing Team Ford Mustang)  put on a one-man show at Brands Hatch in the ELITE 2 Round 3 of the 2017 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season to grab his second win of the season, the eighth of his career in ELITE 2 and his second on the Indy Circuit.

Ferrando said, “Today was a really great day!  We had a good finish in the Elite 1 race and then now a win in Elite 2.  We were a bit off when we arrived here yesterday but the team made some great  adjustments to get the car to handle better and I was able to really pick up my lap times.  I felt really comfortable throughout the race, the car handled perfectly and we were really fast.  I can’t thank my team enough for all their hard work to give me such a great car.  I especially want to thank Knauf, my incredible sponsor, for all of their support both on and off the track, and of course, all my wonderful fans. I really love this track!  There is such a great atmosphere and winning here is very special to me.

The Frenchman started from the second place on the grid alongside Guillaume Dumarey (#24 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS) and completed a brilliant move going up to the Druids hairpin on lap 3 to take the lead and immediately build a solid gap on his Belgian rival. 



The race went immediately south for Valencia’s race winner Ulysse Delsaux (#3 RDV Compétition Toyota Camry) and PK Carsport’s Justin Kunz (#11 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS). The Frenchman ended up spinning down paddock hill after starting from third, while the German went wide in turn four and they both foud themselves at the back of the pack.

While Ferrando’s margin out front quickly grew to over 3 seconds and Maciej Dreszer (#66 Df1 Racing Chevrolet SS) settled in third, the battle for the top-5 intensified between Marconi De Abreu (#47 RDV Competition Ford Mustang), Paul Guiod (#73 Knauf Racing Team Ford Mustang), Felipe Rabello (#56 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS) and Martin Doubek (#5 Dexwet Renauer Team Ford Mustang), while Delsaux put up a splendid comeback and was running 11th when the safety car came out to allow the marshals to remove the #95 car of Evan Pichard Arnaud from the gravel in turn 5.

Ferrando took off again after the following restart and never looked back, while Delsaux made some more spectacular moves to climb up to seventh for the delight of the massive British crowd.

Ferrando crossed the finish line with a 4.8 seconds advantage on Dumarey, solidifying his lead in the points standings and grabbing the pole for Sunday’s ELITE 2 Round 4. A solid Dreszer took his third consecutive third place and led the Rookie Cup, while Rabello won the fierce battle for fourth on Doubek and Abreu. Delsaux was a close seventh ahead of Guiod.

“Today was a great race and we had a very fast car.  PK Carsport is a great race team and I’m really happy to drive for them.  I hope tomorrow I can finish one position better!” said Dumarey.

Dreszer said, “I like this circuit very much and I’m very happy with the result. The DF1 Racing team provided me a really fast car. We had to battle with some really good cars in the beginning of the race but the car seemed to get faster as the race went on.  When I crossed the finish line, my team manager yelled over the radio that he thought I was “magic” and that was a really great feeling!  For tomorrow, I hope to have an even better result and I will definitely do my best!”

Jerry De Weerdt (#78 Brass Racing Ford Mustang) ended up ninth and won a spectacular duel for the Legend Trophy against Dario Caso (#8 Racers Motorsport Ford Mustang), who finished 11th behind Gil Linster (#44 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS).

Carmen Boix Gil (#46 Racing Total Chevrolet SS) took the win in the Lady Cup thanks to her 19th place under the checkered flag.

The ELITE 2 Division will return to the track on Sunday, June 11 for the last race of the Brands Hatch American SpeedFest. The ELITE 2 Round 4 will be streamed live on Fanschoice.tv and on the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Facebook page.]]> NASCAR Whelen Euro Series CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/nascar-whelen-euro-series/ferrando-flexes-his-muscles-storms-to-a-dominant-win-on-dumarey/ https://canadianracingonline.com/community/nascar-whelen-euro-series/pk-carsport-sweeps-qualifying-at-brands-hatch/ Sat, 10 Jun 2017 09:08:12 +0000 Second Brands pole position for Kumpen, first career one for Dumarey
Gian Luca Guiglia, NWES
June 10, 2017 - 6:57am


The #24 PK Carsport Chevrolet was the class of the field in qualifying at Brands Hatch: Anthony Kumpen (#24 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS) took his second consecutive American SpeedfFest pole position in the ELITE 1 Division, while Guillaume Dumarey stormed to his first career pole in the ELITE 2 Division.

It wasn’t easy though for Kumpen in Superpole, as the session was red flagged to dry some oil in turn four with 1 minute and 40 seconds left with and Frederic Gabillon (#3 Tepac RDV Compétition Ford Mustang) leading the field. All drivers took a last dash for the pole when the session resumed and it was the reigning champion who came out on top with a 48.825 seconds lap. Kumpen edged Gabillon by just 8/100ths of a second to score his first pole of 2017, the third of his NASCAR career and the second consecutive at Brands Hatch.

“Qualifying was good.  My car is really fast.  The track was a lot slower after the red flag, especially heading into turn 4.  When the Superpole restarted, I focused my efforts on the rest of the track, drove cautiously into 4 and that was enough for pole position. There is still a lot of potential in the car and I think we can make a few more adjustments to go even faster.  We definitely have a car capable of winning here at Brands Hatch this weekend.  After our misfortune in Valencia, I’m looking forward to see that checkered flag and standing atop the podium today and quite possible tomorrow also,” said the the Belgian, who last year started from the pole to win the Saturday race.

The entire top-10 was enclosed in less than one second. Third place on the grid went to points leader Borja Garcia (#7 Racers Motorsport Ford Mustang), who will start alongside Alon Day (#54 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS) this afternoon. Marc Goossens (#90 Brass Racing Ford Mustang) rounded out the top-5, while Stienes Longin (#11 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS) led the Junior Trophy classification in sixth, ahead of Gianmarco Ercoli (#9 Racers Motorsport Ford Mustang). Wilfried Boucenna (#73 Knauf Racing Team Ford Mustang), Freddy Nordstrom (#44 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS) and Christophe Bouchut (#66 DF1 Racing Team Chevrolet SS) closed the top-10.

Alex Capadia (#70 Mishumotors Chevrolet SS) was fastest among the new drivers joining the series in 14th place, while Bruno Junqueira (#33 Mavi Mishumotors Chevrolet SS) and 2000 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series Champion Bobby Labonte will both face a long climb to the top because they will start respectively 17th and 22th place on the grid.

In the ELITE 2 Division Guillaume Dumarey (#24 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS) scored his first career pole position to make it a perfect qualifying session for the PK Carsport team. The Hasselt, Belgium native posted a 49.113 lap around the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit to beat points leader Thomas Ferrando (#37 Knauf Racing Team Ford Mustang) .146 seconds.
About winning his first pole in his NASCAR career, Dumarey said “It feels so great!  When I pulled into pit lane and my spotter told me I won pole, that was an amazing feeling!  Of course, the car is really good and after Anthony won pole position in Elite 1, I didn’t have any excuse to not do well.  I’m really happy about it and looking forward to the race!”
Fresh off his first career win in Valencia, Ulysse Delsaux (#3 McDonald's RDV Compétition Ford Mustang) was third in Superpole, followed by the Rookie Cup leader Maciej Dreszer (#66 DF1 Racing Team Chevrolet SS) and Justin Kunz (#11 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS).
Marconi De Abreu (#47 Brazil Team Ford Mustang), Paul Guiod (#73 Knauf Racing Team Ford Mustang), Martin Doubek (#5 Renauer Motorsport Ford Mustang), Jerry De Weerdt (#78 Brass Racing Ford Mustang), who led the Legend Trophy classification and Gil Linster (#44 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS) completed the top-10.

Carmen Boix Gil (#46 Racing Total Chevrolet SS) was fastest in the Lady Cup in 19th place.

The ELITE 1 Round 3 green flag will wave for the at 2:30 pm CET (8:30 am ET) and the race will be streamed live on Fanschoice.tv and the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Facebook page with an enhanced multi-camera coverage.
QUALIFYING RESULTS]]> NASCAR Whelen Euro Series CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/nascar-whelen-euro-series/pk-carsport-sweeps-qualifying-at-brands-hatch/ https://canadianracingonline.com/community/nascar-whelen-euro-series/kumpen-ferrando-fastest-in-practice/ Sat, 10 Jun 2017 09:07:00 +0000 Reigning Champion Leads Extremely Tight Field
Gian Luca Guiglia, NWES
June 9, 2017 - 4:19pm


With a 48.901 fastest lap around the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit in Final Practice, Anthony Kumpen (#24 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS) led the ELITE 1 field in the opening day of the 2017 Brands Hatch American SpeedFest, while Thomas Ferrando (#37 Knauf Racing Team Ford Mustang) posted the best lap time in the ELITE 2 Division. 

Kumpen was the only driver to break the 49 second barrier and edged Gianmarco Ercoli (#9 Racers Motorsport Ford Mustang), who was quickest in the Junior Trophy, by two tenths of a second. Frederic Gabillon (#3 Tepac RDV Compétition Toyota Camry) trailed the Italian by .069 seconds after leading the first practice session earlier in the afternoon, while Alon Day (#54 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS) and points leader Borja Garcia (#9 Racers Motorsport Ford Mustang) completed the top-5.

“We feel really good about the car. We were fast in both practice sessions and there was a lot of traffic, so I think there is much more potential in the car,” said Kumpen, who last year started from the pole for the first race of the weekend and scored a fundamental win on the way to his second NWES title. “We are still not perfect with the setup but it feels quite good and we know where we have to go.  The track seemed slower this afternoon than what it was in the first session, but with a first place run this last practice, I’m obviously very happy with the day. That’s what we came here to do. That’s what we want for tomorrow.”

NASCAR Cup Champion Bobby Labonte (#1 Whelen Engineering Alex Caffi Motorsport Ford Mustang), who is driving for the first time at Brands Hatch, commented on the day’s practice.  Labonte said, “The car is really fast and the track is very challenging.  I ran quite a few laps today to get a better feel for both car and track.  I tried different lines in some of the track’s more challenging corners and was able to pick up some speed throughout the day.  Turn one seemed to be the trickiest for me and turn three was the most fun, maybe because I’m used to turning left a lot more.  I’m looking forward to race here this weekend and I think it’s going to be a great experience.”

Labonte also spoke during the drivers meeting, thanking NWES President / CEO, Jerome Galpin, for the opportunity to race in the series this weekend. Labonte also thanked former F1 racer Alex Caffi for providing the car and race team.  Addressing his competitors for the weekend, Bobby told the room full of drivers that he heard great things about the Series and he was very impressed with what he experienced throughout the day.

Three time CART / Champcar runner-up and former Indy 500 Pole Sitter Bruno Junqueira (#33 Mavi Mishumotors Chevrolet SS) returned to Brands Hatch for the first time since 2003 to get behind the wheel of a NASCAR and  posted the 14th fastest lap of the day.

“This track is really nice and it’s very fast. It’s been a long time since I’ve driven here and it’s great to be back. I love this track!” said the Brazilian. “The car is very different from what I’m used to driving.  It weighs more and has less down force but it’s really fun to drive. I improved my lap times quite a bit between the two practice sessions today.  I think I was a second faster in the second practice.  We are going to make a few adjustments to the car and I think I’ll be even faster for the race.  I feel really good about this weekend and I’m very happy to be here with the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series.”

Martin Doubek (#5 Renauer Motorsport Ford Mustang) led the Challenger Trophy in 17th place.

Thomas Ferrando (#37 Knauf Racing Team Ford Mustang), winner of the first race this season in the ELITE 2 series, had the fastest combined practice sessions today with a hot lap of 49.481. Ferrando, a previous race winner at the historic UK track barely edged Italian racer, Gianmarco Ercoli (#9 Racers Motorsport Ford Mustang) by just 6/100ths of a second.  Guillaume Dumarey (#24 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS), who was blistering fast in the first session, ranked third overall in his first time on the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit, leading the Rookie Cup classification.  NASCAR Cup Champion Bobby Labonte (#1 Whelen Engineering Alex Caffi Motorsport Ford Mustang) clocked the fourth fastest time of the day, while Justin Kunz (#11 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS) rounded out the top 5.

Jerry De Weerdt (#78 Brass Racing Ford Mustang) led the Legend Trophy in 13th place, while Arianna Casoli (#54 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS) was fastest in the Lady Cup.

Enhanced Live Streaming For The Brands Hatch American SpeedFest

Starting from the first ELITE 1 race of the weekend on Saturday at 2:25 pm CET (8:25 am ET), the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series fans will enjoy an enhanced Live Streaming on Fanschoice.tv and on the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Facebook page, featuring a multi-camera coverage.

The Live Streaming Schedule for the Brands Hatch American SpeedFest is the following:

SATURDAY JUNE 10

ELITE 1 Qualy & Superpole - 10:20 am CET (4:20 am ET )
ELITE 2 Qualy & Superpole - 10:38 am CET  (4:38 am ET)

ELITE 1 Round 3 -  2:25 pm CET (8:25 am ET) ENHANCED LIVE STREAMING
ELITE 2 Round 3 - 6:05 pm CET (12:05 pm ET) ENHANCED LIVE STREAMING

SUNDAY JUNE 11

ELITE 1 Round 4 - 2:30 pm CET (8:30 am ET) ENHANCED LIVE STREAMING
ELITE 2 Round 4 - 5:30 pm CET (11:30 am ET) ENHANCED LIVE STREAMING]]> NASCAR Whelen Euro Series CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/nascar-whelen-euro-series/kumpen-ferrando-fastest-in-practice/